I know many of you have examples of the Rotbart razor and Rotbart razor blades. Some of these items predate Gillette's purchase of this company, some are subsequent to the purchase/merger/ They are all well made and well worth collecting.
Who was Otto Roth and what is the story about this German razor company? Here's a little bit from my research study on this very German company and their strategies and motivations.
Even though Gillette had managed a major market presence in Germany for many years, nonetheless in 1926 they purchased a controlling interest in Roth-Buchner, its most aggressive competitors. At this time, Roth-Buchner had been in the razor/shaving business for several years and was producing over 250 private label brands of double edged razor blades and razors, including its own Rotbart, Rothbart, Minors, and Luxuosa brands. Roth-Buchner Aktiengesellschaft was headquartered in Berlin, and had been located there for several years, since the merger of Otto Roth and Hugo Buchner. Buchner had operated a razor and blade business in Berlin at 92 Belle-Alliancestrasse, and together the two made a formidable competitor for Gillette or any other razor or blade manufacturer. Director Otto Roth maintained his offices in Berlin and managed several razor and blade factories throughout Europe. When Gillette purchased the controlling interest in Roth - Buchner, Otto Roth was named the General Director for all of Gillette's European divisions.
In 1927 Gillette ventured further towards controlling its competition by purchasing Otto Roth, a subsidiary of Roth- Buchner, which had not been sold with the original purchase. Otto Roth produced the Gentleman Otto razor, and the Royal Crown (1928) and Cosmopolitan (1929) blades. By 1927, razor blade production at Roth Buchner had reached one million blades daily.
Roth-Buchner’s first full-time Advertising Manager was Fritz Lochner, who had started in 1922 as a commission clerk and worked his way up in the Accounting Dept. Lochner launched major advertising campaigns in local and national newspapers and magazines, a practice used little prior to that time, and one which was likely developed and encouraged by Gillette's international marketing group. They used this market to develop innovative and somewhat revolutionary advertisements. (At the same time, cigarette advertising campaigns were being developed, and in some cases more money was spent on annual advertising budgets than the total annual sales of the advertised products. Apparently Gillette and Roth-Buchner shared this innovative marketing strategy as a way to dominate the market for their products.) Lochner also used his promotional skills to create what we would term “media events” today. Lochner also used celebrity endorsements in his advertising campaigns, with well known Germans such as the opera star Richard Tauber, Paul Morgan, Max Ehrlich, Kurt Lilien and Trude Hesterberg. The well-known opera composer Franz Lehar stated in one advertisement, “My best ideas come while shaving with my Rotbart!”
Want to see some of this early advertising? Innovative and bold -- I would say. Sexist? Appealing? Whatever you think, this was advertising in its infancy, and advertising that apparently worked.
What's going on here! 1937 or so!
I don't get this one either -- but I love his knickers and spats!
Predates Mad Men in chronology, but must have inspired those Madison Avenue pioneers with how to sell products -- at least how to sell to men!
And my favorite -- so far.
I think it could have displayed shaving the man's legs also -- but what an imaginative -- hilarious -- way to sell razors and blades! How fast can you shave?!
Who was Otto Roth and what is the story about this German razor company? Here's a little bit from my research study on this very German company and their strategies and motivations.
Even though Gillette had managed a major market presence in Germany for many years, nonetheless in 1926 they purchased a controlling interest in Roth-Buchner, its most aggressive competitors. At this time, Roth-Buchner had been in the razor/shaving business for several years and was producing over 250 private label brands of double edged razor blades and razors, including its own Rotbart, Rothbart, Minors, and Luxuosa brands. Roth-Buchner Aktiengesellschaft was headquartered in Berlin, and had been located there for several years, since the merger of Otto Roth and Hugo Buchner. Buchner had operated a razor and blade business in Berlin at 92 Belle-Alliancestrasse, and together the two made a formidable competitor for Gillette or any other razor or blade manufacturer. Director Otto Roth maintained his offices in Berlin and managed several razor and blade factories throughout Europe. When Gillette purchased the controlling interest in Roth - Buchner, Otto Roth was named the General Director for all of Gillette's European divisions.
In 1927 Gillette ventured further towards controlling its competition by purchasing Otto Roth, a subsidiary of Roth- Buchner, which had not been sold with the original purchase. Otto Roth produced the Gentleman Otto razor, and the Royal Crown (1928) and Cosmopolitan (1929) blades. By 1927, razor blade production at Roth Buchner had reached one million blades daily.
Roth-Buchner’s first full-time Advertising Manager was Fritz Lochner, who had started in 1922 as a commission clerk and worked his way up in the Accounting Dept. Lochner launched major advertising campaigns in local and national newspapers and magazines, a practice used little prior to that time, and one which was likely developed and encouraged by Gillette's international marketing group. They used this market to develop innovative and somewhat revolutionary advertisements. (At the same time, cigarette advertising campaigns were being developed, and in some cases more money was spent on annual advertising budgets than the total annual sales of the advertised products. Apparently Gillette and Roth-Buchner shared this innovative marketing strategy as a way to dominate the market for their products.) Lochner also used his promotional skills to create what we would term “media events” today. Lochner also used celebrity endorsements in his advertising campaigns, with well known Germans such as the opera star Richard Tauber, Paul Morgan, Max Ehrlich, Kurt Lilien and Trude Hesterberg. The well-known opera composer Franz Lehar stated in one advertisement, “My best ideas come while shaving with my Rotbart!”
Want to see some of this early advertising? Innovative and bold -- I would say. Sexist? Appealing? Whatever you think, this was advertising in its infancy, and advertising that apparently worked.
What's going on here! 1937 or so!
I don't get this one either -- but I love his knickers and spats!
Predates Mad Men in chronology, but must have inspired those Madison Avenue pioneers with how to sell products -- at least how to sell to men!
And my favorite -- so far.
I think it could have displayed shaving the man's legs also -- but what an imaginative -- hilarious -- way to sell razors and blades! How fast can you shave?!
